Burgermeister Genuine Draft 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Burgermeister Genuine Draft Can

The Burgermeister Genuine Draft 12 oz can produced under the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company name in San Francisco, California, represents an important transitional chapter in West Coast brewing history.

Originally established by the San Francisco Brewing Corporation, the Burgermeister brand—affectionately nicknamed "Burgie"—was a dominant regional staple across the American West. In late 1961, national brewing giant Jos. Schlitz acquired the Burgermeister Brewing Corporation and its production facility located at 470 10th Street in San Francisco.

This corporate takeover became central to a major federal antitrust case, United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company (1966), in which the Department of Justice successfully challenged the purchase under the Clayton Act. The court ordered Schlitz to divest the San Francisco plant and brand assets, leading to their subsequent sale in the early 1970s. During the period in which Schlitz operated the facility, Burgermeister Genuine Draft was packaged carrying the mandatory brewery line identifying Jos. Schlitz in San Francisco.

For breweriana collectors, examples carrying the Jos. Schlitz San Francisco mandatory text serve as artifacts of this significant antitrust battle and corporate transition. Documented variations of the can exist among production runs, exhibiting subtle differences in can manufacturer marks, seam layouts, and the placement of union labels.